Masterfully preparing a roast can be tricky, but we've taken the guesswork out of the process by whipping together some tips that walk you through it step-by-step.

1. Choose your meat

Rib roasts

Bone-in prime rib cuts include the first rib roast (tender, most rib-eye), center-rib roast (less rib-eye, still quite tender), and the sixth and seventh rib roast (fattier, tougher, but some say more flavorful). Boneless prime rib roasts are sometimes called Delmonico or rib-eye roasts.

Loin roasts

Strip loin, tenderloin and top sirloin roasts are tender, but lean. Sirloin tip and tri-tip roasts are a little tougher to begin with, but they have more fat, which breaks down during cooking for flavorful, juicy meat.

Round roasts

Some round roasts are quite tough and best used for stews or in wet cooking methods (like pot roast). Others, like eye of round, top round, inside round, outside round and rump roasts are OK for making roast beef — they won't get as tender, but they'll have good flavor and tend to be less expensive than rib or loin roasts.

2. Salt it ahead of time

Salting the meat a day ahead of time will season the meat more deeply, and the salt, along with a rest in the fridge overnight, uncovered, will keep the surface of the roast dry. This will help you get the most browning when it's in the oven.

3. Bring it to room temperature

Let the roast come to room temperature before you cook it. Letting it rest on the counter for about an hour before it goes in the oven will help it cook evenly.

4. Use a rack

Cook your roast on a rack in a roasting pan. The even flow of air around the meat will help it cook and brown evenly. You can even roast the meat directly on the oven rack, with an aluminim tray below to catch any drippings.

5. Cook it low and slow

Cooking your roast at a low temperature for a long time will help it cook evenly. Roasting at a high heat will cause the exterior to brown before the center is cooked. Aim to cook your meat at 225 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour per pound.

6. Use a thermometer

More reliable than time alone, an instant-read probe thermometer will help you gauge the exact doneness of your meat. You want to take your meat out of the oven when it's about five degrees short of your desired final temperature (final temperature for rare is 125 degrees F, medium rare is 130-135, medium is 145).

7. Reverse sear

As The Food Lab explains, cooking your roast for maximum tenderness makes it hard to get that flavorful sear you want. So try what's called a reverse sear — searing your roast after you've cooked it in the oven.

Let the meat rest for about 10 minutes when you take it out of the oven, then get ready to sear. You can finish it under the broiler, basting it with melted butter and turning frequently until browned and at your desired final temperature.

Or, you can sear in a pan, melting butter in a pan over high heat and adding the roast, turning frequently until browned on all sides and at your desired final temperature.

8. Let it rest

Let your meat rest before cutting into it. Since you cooked it low and slow there's less risk of losing juices, so you only need to wait about five minutes before slicing into your roast.

The next step? Decide what you want to do with the leftovers... if there are any!

Image: AMC]]>http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1117999/roast-beef-tipsWed, 30 Nov 2016 06:00:00 -0800http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1130068/how-to-use-spiralizer
Thanksgiving has come and gone, and if you did it right, you probably can’t fit into most of your wardrobe this week. The weeks ahead will also be gastronomic feats of strength in which you shall gorge yourself on gingerbread lattes and Christmas cookies and endless pigs-in-a-blanket at office holiday parties. Don’t even lie to yourself that you’ll be good and only stick to the crudités or make pathetic low-calorie versions of everything that will just make you feel empty inside. The holidays are about gluttony, and by golly, there’s nothing you can do to fight that.

Best strategy? Offset the damage. If you know every weekend will be a lost one and that you’ll probably hit the break room for homemade baked goods every day, make every meal you eat outside of that a healthy one. Past healthy, even — we’re talking “Celebrity dropping 70 pounds in a month in an attempt to win an Oscar” type foods. Before you eat, always think, “What would Christian Bale do?”

Know what he probably loves? Zoodles. For those of you who aren’t trying to win an Oscar and have no idea what we’re talking about, here are some fast facts that can help you.

What the hell are zoodles?

They are noodles made from zucchini by using a vegetable spiralizer, then given a stupid nickname because #cutsiegram. God, I hate the internet sometimes.

What’s a vegetable spiralizer?

They’re gizmos that turn your vegetables into long, winding strands of noodles or ribbons or other stuff, depending on how much money you spend on the thing. I mean, I don’t know how many different forms you’d like your zucchini to take. I’m not going to limit you in a world of endless possibility.

Actually, they’ve been using them in Japan for nearly forever, and you've likely been familiar with spiralized veggies for longer than you realize. Know that weird white fluff that comes in the bottom of the container when you order sushi? That’s finely spiralized daikon (you should be eating that — it’s good for you). As always, Japan is way ahead of us with all the cool stuff, like candy and Pizza Hut.

So I should buy the expensive one From Japan, then?

No; that’s stupid. Think about how many one-note appliances are stashed somewhere in your house right now. The quesadilla maker. The margarita dispenser. That adorable miniature kitchen that only cooks breakfast sandwiches, which you never use because you already have something that does that (it’s called a stove) and quite honestly, you don’t like breakfast sandwiches so much that you needed to permanently devote counter space to the making of them. Now you’re going to go off and drop a bunch of money on something you’re not sure you’ll use that often?

Here’s what you do: Go buy a $15 handheld one that you can keep in a drawer. It won’t have all the bells and whistles, but it gets the job done. Once you find your groove, and if you’re feeling the magic, then go ahead and invest in the fancy “on demand” option.

So I cook these zoodles, as you call them, like regular pasta?

Yes and no. You don’t boil them because even though they look like pasta, they are not. They’re zoodles. You are now in on their lies.

Zucchini doesn’t have any starch, but what it does have is moisture. Lots of it. And that moisture keeps it crunchy, which isn’t very pasta-like. The solution: Salt the zoodles. Sprinkle generously with Kosher salt, toss well, put in a colander, then walk away for half an hour and let it do its thing. When you return, they’ll have wilted and lost a good amount of their water weight. Then just give them a good rinse, and there ya go — “cooked” zoodles. Now dress them up with sauce, sauté them in a little garlic and oil or do whatever you would have done if they were regular pasta. Which they aren't. They're zoodles.

Yes, but you’ll have to change the name. I don’t know much about the zucchini lobby, but I know enough to not cross them.

OK then. What are some other options?

I’m glad you asked! There are just so many possibilities

Carrots

Daikon

Potatoes

Sweet potatoes

Parsnips

Celery root

Apples

Butternut squash

Broccoli stems

Curious about something not listed here? Just jam it in there and hope for the best! Or Google it, because I'm sure someone has already tried and either written a blog about it or posted photos of the disaster that followed. (And if they haven't, you could be the first!)

So I can use all those things in place of pasta?

Well, technically yes, but I don’t know if I’d want to. Zucchini is somewhat flavorless, but things like parsnips and apples aren’t. That’s why you need to stop thinking in “oodles” and unleash your imagination. Make shoestring fries with spiralized potatoes. A tasty slaw that won't’ slide off a sandwich can be made with carrots or broccoli stems. Toss parsnips in a bit of butter and cinnamon-sugar, make nests and bake 'til golden-brown. Check out some of our favorite recipes or post your ideas in the comments.

]]>http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1130068/how-to-use-spiralizerWed, 09 Nov 2016 06:30:00 -0800http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1129609/blender-hacks
You know your blender can be used to make smoothies. Heck, maybe you've even used it once or twice to purée some veggies or to smooth out a batch of soup.

But the blender can be used for a lot more than all that — and it needs to be that way to justify taking up all that counter space. From crêpes to compost and back again, these are all the ways you can make the most of your blender.

1. Chop it up

Need to finely chop a bunch of veggies or make a mince from different aromatics? Pre-chop them into large chunks that easily fit into your blender, then pulse until your ingredients reach the desired texture.

2. Get juiced

Juicers are hard to clean and take up a ton of counter space, but getting juice at a café or shop costs a ridiculous amount of money. Luckily, you can make juice with a blender (preferably a high-speed model, like a Vitamix) by puréeing your preferred fruits and veggies, then straining them through a fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag. Juice without the hefty price tag!

4. Stir that batter

5. Make "milk"

Oat milk, nut milk and rice milk, oh my! You can save a fortune by making your own nut milks at home. Just blend your chosen milk base with water until smooth, then strain.

6. Smoothies to go

Enjoy smoothies on the go with this clever hack. Twist a Mason jar full of smoothie ingredients onto your blender base, then blend until smooth. Carefully unscrew the jar, and voila — a smoothie ready to be taken out the door with you.

7. Keep it quiet

Other than the dreaded midnight microwave "ding!" not much is louder than a blender. Luckily, you can keep things quiet by placing your blender base on a silicone mat, which will help diffuse the sound.

]]>http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1129609/blender-hacksMon, 07 Nov 2016 10:00:00 -0800http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1129531/tips-for-making-crab-cakes
There are some foods, like crab cakes, that taste amazing when you go out, but seem impossible to make at home. I'm looking at you, mozzarella sticks, macarons and paella.

Until now, making crab cakes at home seemed to be an exercise in futility. Is it really possible to make crab cakes that taste great and actually stay together in the pan instead of exploding into a bunch of dry, vaguely crab-scented crumbles?

Thankfully, the answer is yes. These professional chefs are giving us the scoop on how to make perfect crab cakes at home. The seafood lover's Holy Grail just got a whole lot easier to achieve.

1. Go easy on the extras

One of the biggest mistakes people make when cooking crab cakes at home? According to Michael Nelson, executive chef at GW Fins in New Orleans, it's "using mayonnaise because hot mayo is gross. Also, using too much breadcrumb because you lose the crab." He just uses a small amount of panko breadcrumbs to bind his cakes.

And don't add too many eggs in your quest for crab cakes that don't fall apart. "The ratio for perfect crab cakes is one egg per one pound of crab," according to Juan Muñoz, executive chef at Pacific Beach Fish Shop.

2. Be gentle

Crab is delicate. You want to keep the meat as intact as possible, so you should toss, not stir, the crabmeat with the other ingredients before lightly pressing it into patties.

Likewise, be gentle on the grill. Place your crab cakes on the pan and let them cook, without moving, until the bottom is nicely browned and crispy.

Another trick to keep delicate crab cakes from falling apart in the pan?

3. Season as you go

One key to making great crab cakes is to season as you go. You want the mixture itself to be flavorful with seasonings. Then you'll want to add additional salt as needed as soon as the cake comes out of the pan.

Nelson's tip for his crab cakes works as both a binder and a flavoring agent.

"I reduce heavy cream down until it's thick, like mayo. You can add flavors to the cream while it reduces to inject flavor. I add ginger and lemongrass to my cream reduction," he told us.

That being said, don't overseason the crab. You may be using strong ingredients like Dijon mustard, Cholula and Worcestershire sauce, but you only need a bit of each. "Respect the crab. Keep it light, simple and let the crab shine," encourages Muñoz.

That said, some chefs prefer certain parts of the crab for their cakes.

"The claw meat is a little more sweet and has a much better texture, and holds up very well to make a beautiful cake," Chef Ryne Harwick from the Hunt Club Steakhouse in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, told SheKnows.

And if possible, "don't use canned pasteurized crab," implored Nelson.

5. Don't over cook

It's important to remember that most crab meat you'll be using as a home cook is already cooked through. That means you don't need to crank up the heat — you only need to get a nice, crispy exterior on the crab cake before serving.

"Start with a hot pan and lower the temp to let the cake gently get dark brown on the first side without sticking. This ensures a good-looking and crispy crab cake," explained Hardwick.

With these tips, you're well on your way to making perfect crab cakes at home.

]]>http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1129531/tips-for-making-crab-cakesFri, 04 Nov 2016 06:00:00 -0700http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1129472/bread-baking-tips
There's nothing like a loaf of homemade bread. But if your first attempts at baking have landed you loaves that collapse in the oven, don't get crusty and lack flavor, we wouldn't blame you for wanting to give up and stock your pantry with loaves from the grocery store as usual.

Don't give up yet, though. Baking bread at home is an art and a science, but it's not magic. We asked a bread-making expert for tips on how to make the perfect loaf at home, and it's really no harder than confronting your yeast-based fears head-on.

"Don't be afraid, just do it. If it doesn’t work, it’s not the end of the world. You can try again," Chef Sim Cass, dean of bread baking at the Institute of Culinary Education, told SheKnows.

Quick breads are tasty, but the true Holy Grail in bread-making lies in yeast doughs. Yeast can be kind of tricky, but handling it doesn't have to be.

It's important that you knead your dough long enough to properly develop the gluten — otherwise, you're bread won't rise correctly. Think of it as a mini-workout. Five to 10 minutes should do it — when you've kneaded long enough, the dough should be smooth and elastic and pass the windowpane test.

Keep calm and let the dough rise

"The biggest challenge is impatience. You just have to go slowly and give the yeast time to work," Cass said. And in your haste to move the yeast along? "Don't let the dough get too warm!" This can cause the bread to over-rise and overproof, leaving you with a loaf that collapses and flattens in the oven.

Try the cold ferment

You might be anxious to eat bread within hours of starting your dough (I feel you!), but you might want to consider resting your dough overnight in the fridge. This cold ferment allows deeper flavors to develop, and the chilled dough is easier to shape into a loaf the next day too. It's the method favored by the popular Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.

Commercial bread-baking ovens use convection heating to ensure that hot air surrounds each loaf of bread, allowing it too cook evenly. Many professional bakers also have steam injected into their ovens, which allows the loaves to rise properly before a crust forms.

To mimic these conditions in a home oven, you can do a couple of things.

"The best thing you can do is mist the bread with water from a spray bottle before putting it in the oven — get the surface of the bread wet," recommends Cass.

Another trick? Bake your bread in a Dutch oven that's been preheated in a 450 degree F oven. Spritz your bread with water, then put the cover on the Dutch oven and bake for 30 minutes. This will help the bread rise properly. Then, remove the cover, and continue baking until done, about 15 more minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the bottom of the loaf registers 190 degrees F.

Remember, it's just bread

Bread requires very few ingredients, and they're inexpensive to boot. Most standard recipes include flour, water, yeast and salt, and sometimes a little sugar or oil. If your first loaf doesn't come out quite right, you can always try again.

Now that you have these tips, you can make professional-style bread at home. All it takes is flour, water, yeast and time.

]]>http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1129472/bread-baking-tipsThu, 03 Nov 2016 11:57:00 -0700http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/2847/reusing-oil-after-frying-a-turkey
You've decided you want to go a less traditional route and give your bird the deep-fry treatment instead of roasting it in the oven, but as you might have already noticed while looking up recipes and putting together a Thanksgiving shopping list, deep-frying a turkey requires a considerable investment in frying oil. Case in point: Paula Deen's recipe calls for 3 to 5 gallons of peanut oil — 3 to 5 gallons!

The good news is, you can recycle the oil you use to fry your turkey — there are just a couple of simple rules of thumb to follow to keep the oil usable.

Most recipes call for peanut oil because of the flavor it imparts, but you'll have to make sure none of your guests have a peanut allergy if that's the route you choose.

Filter your oil after use

After the oil cools overnight in a covered pot, strain the cooled oil through a fine strainer, then filter the oil through a fine cheesecloth or coffee filter. Filtration is especially important if you have used seasonings or breading on the turkey you fried.

Oil storage

Used oil should always be covered and refrigerated to prevent it from going rancid. Though peanut oil is the one most commonly used for frying up a turkey, it's also the most perishable of the oils and must be kept cold if you plan to keep it longer than a month. You can also freeze it to extend the shelf life even longer.

Used oil will thicken and become cloudy when chilled but return to its original consistency when reheated. The oil will also develop a cloudy appearance that could remain when brought back to room temperature and will only clear up temporarily while heated.

Proceed with caution when using refrigerated oil. One ChowHound user reported a scary situation while reheating cold oil.

"My mom put a saucepan full of oil on the stove straight from the fridge and as it heated it went up like an atomic bomb onto the ceiling," they wrote. "No one got hurt but soooo dangerous! It must be left out till room temperature when using large quantities that are cold."

Shelf life

Most oils may remain in the refrigerator for several months or until signs of deterioration begin.

Peanut oil can usually be used three or four times to fry turkeys before it shows signs of going bad, according to the Texas Peanut Producers Board via The National Turkey Federation. Watch for foaming, darkening or smoking excessively — these are all signs that your oil has gone rancid and needs to be discarded. Other signs of bad oil include a rancid smell and/or failure to bubble when food is added.

]]>http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/2847/reusing-oil-after-frying-a-turkeyThu, 03 Nov 2016 10:30:00 -0700http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1129273/pf-changs
We’ve all experienced “menu panic” — that phenomenon where you sit down at a restaurant, are immediately overwhelmed by all the options, not being able to figure out what’s good, and then just blurting out the first thing you think of when the server comes by. It’s a real disorder, and we’re here to help. Because we here at SheKnows love you, and know you deserve only the very best.

This week, we’re visiting P.F. Chang’s, America’s favorite Asian-inspired chain restaurant (seriously — they’ve got a Zagat award and everything). Recently they rolled out a “Farm to Wok” policy nationwide, which means up to 22 percent of their produce comes from 500 miles or less to a particular restaurant. (Percentages vary based on the location of the restaurant, seasonality and proximity to farms.) All of their rice is grown in the U.S. We were initially skeptical of this claim — farm-to-table is an overused buzzword, and it does seem logistically impossible to have a chain with restaurants across the country be able to pull a feat like this off, especially considering the scale of their operations.

But they surprised us! A visit to one of their locations revealed that they are receiving fresh vegetables every single day in smaller quantities, meaning the food you’re being served hasn’t been sitting in refrigerated storage for days. The one freezer on premises is roughly the size of a household refrigerator, meaning that nearly everything you’re eating is made there that day.

Remarkably, these are made by hand every morning by the fine cooks at P.F. Chang's. I grew up smack-dab between two Chinatowns in Brooklyn, and most restaurants there don’t do this — they buy frozen. Both the shrimp and pork dumplings were absolutely delicious, and a safe bet to please everyone at the table.

Lettuce Wraps

I did some informal polling regarding the best dish at P.F. Chang’s, and the unanimous winner was the lettuce wraps. And I mean unanimous — every single person I asked picked this as their go-to order. They were most definitely onto something.

Image: P.F. Chang's

Lobster & Shrimp Street Tacos

Lobster is one of those foods that is so easy to mess up, which is utterly tragic since it costs a pretty penny and no one should be shelling out big bucks for dry, chewy seafood. Remarkably, the cooks here nailed it. Succulent and sweet, it got a five-star rating from my 9-year-old son, who is the resident lobster expert in this family. Don’t underestimate him because of his age — picky children are the best critics of the four or five things they will actually eat, and I somehow ended up with a picky eater with Champagne and caviar tastes.

Fried Green Beans

A lot of restaurants offer items of this ilk — taking an ordinary vegetable and doing their best to make it not horrible for you. I’m not fooled, but I also don’t care. These are amazing, and even better when you dip them in their stupidly addictive “zesty sauce” (which is mayo mixed with a little Sriracha, so it makes things extra naughty).

It’s fried shrimp tossed in their zesty sauce — a name that totally undersells its crack-level appeal. Whoever came up with this dish at corporate headquarters should get the biggest, fattest raise in company history.

Egg Drop Soup

This may be the first time I was not underwhelmed by a bowl of egg drop soup. Your average takeout joint will serve you an oversalted bowl of broth with a faint chemical aftertaste, and no amount of packaged condiments will save that mess. The P.F. Chang’s version is smooth and velvety, made from a chicken stock prepared in-house with none of the off flavors a powdered chicken bouillon base usually imparts. We didn’t even need to add a single drop of soy sauce — it was perfect just the way it was.

Singapore Street Noodles

Not an authentic version of this Southeast Asian specialty by any means, but a very solid take on the Americanized Singapore mei fun. While good at the table, this dish really shone the next morning when eaten cold from the refrigerator. Don’t act like you don’t also do that with Chinese leftovers. It’s a very important standard in determining the excellence of a take-out dish.

Long Life Noodles & Prawns

Surprising the hell out of me, the best thing I tried at P.F. Chang’s was a side dish of Long Life Noodles. A very simple preparation of egg noodles with a touch of sauce and scallions, it was somewhat brilliant in its simplicity. I could easily eat this alone as an entrée, but if you’re looking for a bit more heft, grab the version topped with fried prawns.

Banana Spring Rolls

It’s a classic that never fails to delight me. Fried in spring roll wrappers, the bananas become custardy and remarkably sweet, barely requiring the accompanying caramel sauce or gigantic scoop of ice cream. Of course, I wouldn’t turn either of those things down because I didn’t come to P.F. Chang’s to make responsible decisions.

Berry Ginger Shortcake

There are more enticing options on the dessert menu — it’s hard to look at a photo of The Great Wall of Chocolate and not want to order a slab — but the best thing on the menu is undoubtedly the Berry Ginger Shortcake. Sweet from the cake, tangy from the berries, lucious from the whipped cream and a touch spicy from the ginger, this fine piece of pastry engineering has everything you could want to finish your meal on a high note.

Image: P.F. Chang's

Image: SheKnows

]]>http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1129273/pf-changsWed, 02 Nov 2016 14:00:00 -0700http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1129434/mississippi-roast
Mississippi roast: Who isn't obsessed with this dish by now? What sounds like a recipe a baked college kid might make in their first real apartment — beef, a whole stick of butter, a packet of ranch dressing mix, a packet of au jus and some pepperoncini (because why the hell not) — has won our hearts, and it's easy to see why. Simple, flavorful slow cooker recipes are always a prize. It's hard not to bump into the recipe on Pinterest, and it even got a write up inThe New York Times. But there is such thing as too much of a good thing, even when it comes to buttery, ranch-infused beef.

Don't let Mississippi roast become just another recipe that you binge-cook and then burn out on. These simple variations will ensure that the Mississippi roast stays in your repertoire for years to come. After all, when you find a recipe this easy and delicious, it's one you definitely want to keep around.

1. Swap your meats

Beef is the standard when it comes to the Mississippi roast, but the process works just as well with other cuts of meat. Chicken stays moist and flavorful when made Mississippi-style; pork tenderloin gets even more luxuriously tender; and even pork chops are somehow more exciting when done the Mississippi roast way. Hell, we even found a vegan recipe.

2. Switch up the seasoning

The original recipe calls for one packet of ranch dressing with either a packet of dry onion soup mix or a packet of dry au jus mix. But you can easily switch things up by swapping the au jus mix for another savory seasoning packet, like mushroom or onion gravy, barbecue pulled pork, meatloaf or anything that's supposed to be used with beef. Likewise, you can swap the plain ranch dressing mix for a spicy ranch mix, a balsamic vinaigrette mix or an Italian dressing mix.

The recipe also calls for a stick of butter. Consider swapping plain butter out for a compound butter you've made yourself or try coconut oil or even bison tallow.

3. Make it from scratch

Obviously one of the great things about the Mississippi roast is how easy it is to make. But if you have a little extra time, why not fancy it up by making everything from scratch. Homemade ranch dressing mix is easy to make in big batches, and you can use it in your Mississippi roast and to make dips and dressings. You can also make your own onion soup mix and au jus mix, giving you full control over what goes into your meal.

4. Pass on the pepperoncini

Pepperoncini are delicious, but with so many pickle options out there, why limit yourself? You want something tangy, salty and a little spicy. Look for spicy pickled dilly beans, mixed giardiniera, pickled cherry peppers or pickled jalapeños and carrots for extra spice.

There you have it. By making these simple swaps, you can make sure that the Mississippi roast is more than a one-hit wonder in your house. After all, how often do we find Pinterest miracle recipes that actually work this well?

]]>http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1129434/mississippi-roastMon, 24 Oct 2016 09:30:00 -0700http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1075567/non-flour-frying-coatings
Sure, dredging your meats and vegetables in a simple flour coating for a quick fry is the easiest route, but it's certainly not the most delicious one. You can coat your fried items with all kinds of good stuff, from the more traditional (like crackers) to the super-surprising (like a sweet cereal) — and chances are you already have most of these items in your cupboard.

Let's face it: There's nothing yummier in the world you can do to food than coat it, deep (or shallow) fat-fry it and maybe hit it with a little salt for good measure. No matter how bad something is and no matter how good it is, it can always be better when fried to a deep golden-brown.

Of course, we believe you can't have too much of a good thing, which is why when we fry, we make sure to coat our fried foods in the usual flour or batter and then dip the whole thing into a delicious coating. If that sounds like your kind of frying party, then get out your oil. You've got some coating to do.

1. Chex cereal

Chex (and all its imitators and generics) has a very firm, crispy exterior that stands up extremely well to frying. It also helps that the numerous varieties of Chex also taste pretty good too. All you need to do is use your hands to break up the Chex, and roll your fried foods in it for an extra bit of crunch and a nice earthy flavor too.

2. Fruity Pebbles

Something sweet doesn't work with all fried items (fried okra plus Fruity Pebbles sounds nasty), but for certain items — children's chicken fingers, fish sticks, etc. — coating the food with Fruity Pebbles can produce a nice sweet-savory combination. You will need to crush the cereal, most likely with a meat mallet or rolling pin, but other than that, Fruity Pebbles are easy to add to your meal.

3. Garbanzo bean flour

If you're making a batter, consider switching over to garbanzo bean flour instead of white flour. The gluten-free flour will produce batters that are much denser and have a sweeter, more intense flavor. You can also dredge your fried items in garbanzo bean flour too.

4. Brown rice flour

Brown rice flour is another great flour alternative. We really like to use it to dredge fried items because we like the hint of brown rice it gives the final product. It can also be used to make a batter.

5. Finely ground Ritz crackers

Ritz crackers have an unctuous, buttery quality that makes them ideal to coat fried foods. Why ideal? Who doesn't want more butter and fat with their fried foods! The key, though, to using Ritz crackers in your fried foods is to grind them very finely. If you have pieces more than a few millimeters to a side, then the texture of the final product will be weirdly soggy. What you want to do is make a Ritz dust and roll your fried food in that for a delicious buttery kick.

6. Bacon

Yes, that's right, you can roll some fried foods in bacon. To make this work, crisp up your bacon, and cut it into fine pieces (think bacon bits from a salad bar). Also, you're going to have to use a batter or roll the fried food in egg wash so that the bacon has something to which it can stick. If you have that, it's just a matter of rolling the food and hitting the fryer.

7. Cheddar cheese and panko

Cheddar cheese by itself cannot survive in the fryer as a coating. That's why you take a small amount of it and mix it with something like panko (or one of the other suggestions on this list, like croutons or Chex). Then coat the food normally. The end result won't be terribly cheesy; rather it will have an additional richness and saltiness that come from the cheese.

8. Croutons

More and more, store-bought croutons are being shunned in favor of homemade croutons, or they're getting left off entirely because they're carbs. With that said, a lot of packaged croutons are really delicious and come in a variety of different flavors. If you have a crouton you like, just toss a few handfuls into the blender, and pulse until you have a very coarse breadcrumb. Use that to coat as normal.

9. Cumin and rye seeds

First things first. If you're going to use cumin and rye seeds, do so sparingly. They both pack a huge punch, but if you can get them to stick using a wet batter, you're going to have a fancy, flavorful fried dish.

10. Sourdough breadcrumbs

Day-old sourdough bread makes an excellent coating because of its unique flavor, which translates to the fried food if you use it as a coating. Just pulse in a food processor until the texture of sand, and coat. Of course, that astringent tang doesn't work with all foods, but for some stronger vegetables, chicken or beef, it can be a very welcome change of pace.

Originally published Jan. 2015. Updated Oct. 2016.

]]>http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1075567/non-flour-frying-coatingsThu, 20 Oct 2016 06:00:00 -0700http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1129065/alternative-ways-cook-turkey
What if we told you that you don't need an oven to enjoy turkey on Thanksgiving? Maybe you don't have an oven or yours is too small to roast a whole turkey. Or perhaps you're just sick of the same old roasted bird, with its dry breast meat and stringy legs and thighs.

Welp, we're here to tell you there is more than one way to cook your bird. From braised to smoked, these alternatives to roasting could very well save your Thanksgiving.

Image: Katsiaryna Belaya/Getty Images/Liz Smith/SheKnows

1. Braise

If you're tired of perpetually dry turkey, braising is your best bet. Skip the breast meat in favor of juicy turkey legs and thighs, then slowly simmer them in a white wine broth flavored with traditional herbs and aromatics.

2. Deep-fry

Deep-fried turkey is a great option if you don't want to roast a bird but still want an impressive showpiece. Deep-frying your turkey can be dangerous, though, so make sure you prepare it with an abundance of caution. Try this version, which infuses the turkey with Sriracha.

3. Slow cook

Slow cooking your turkey isn't just a great option for people without a traditional kitchen setup, it's also a super-easy way to get a moist turkey on the table while keeping the oven free for other cooking projects, like sides and pies. You can broil the turkey when it's done cooking to crisp up the skin or use a brûlée torch to give it some golden color. But all the focus will really be on the incredibly tender, juicy turkey meat.

4. Spatchcock and grill

Image: Diane Labombarbe/Getty Images

Spatchcocking a turkey by removing its backbone and spreading it open is one of the best ways to combat uneven cooking. The dark meat and white meat cook in the same amount of time with this method instead of the usual bone-dry breast meat or underdone legs and thighs compromise. Combine spatchcocking with grilling, and you're really in for a spectacular treat, whether you give it some barbecue spice or opt for a traditional flavor profile.

7. Microwave the whole bird

8. Rotisserie

Whether you use an electric model or a grill attachment, rotisserie turkey is one of the tastiest ways to serve your bird this Thanksgiving. A golden-brown exterior and super-juicy interior make this method a favorite every time.

9. Poach

Image: Katsiaryna Belaya/Getty Images

If you or any of your family members have special dietary restrictions, poached turkey is one of the healthiest ways to prepare your bird. Boneless, skinless turkey breasts are poached in flavorful stock, resulting in a light but still flavorful Thanksgiving entrée.

Image: Rowena Dumlao-Giardina]]>http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1129065/alternative-ways-cook-turkeyTue, 11 Oct 2016 10:45:00 -0700http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1128865/easy-banh-mi-sandwich
Panicked by the thought of trying to re-create your favorite sandwich at home? It happens to the best of us. Luckily it's actually super easy to make a Vietnamese banh mi sandwich at home. With a couple of substitutes and shortcuts where needed, you'll be chowing down on your favorite sub in no time.

The bread

A typical Vietnamese banh mi is served on a small baguette. But unlike the French baguettes you can get at the store, Vietnamese baguettes are usually made with a mixture of wheat and rice flour. The rice flour keeps the baguette light and airy, unlike the chewy French baguettes you might be used to.

That means if you don't live near a Vietnamese bakery or feel like stretching your baking muscles to make your own baguettes, you may need a substitute.

Lightly toasted Mexican bolillo or telera rolls will work, or even a toasted sub sandwich roll or kaiser roll will do in a pinch. But if you can't find those either, then go with an ordinary small baguette. It's close enough.

The meat

Pork is the most popular banh mi filling, from pork roll to headcheese. At home, you can opt for a thin slice or two of deli ham, thinly sliced leftover pork chops or pork roast, shredded pork shoulder or pork belly or ground pork meatballs, sliced. You can also go with grilled chicken, shredded rotisserie chicken (dark meat preferably) or thinly sliced leftover steak.

Vegetarians can fill their banh mi with grilled or fried tofu, veggies or vegetarian "ham."

And note that in a banh mi, the ratio of meat to veggies is usually 1-to-1, so don't go overboard.

The pickles

Pickles add tart crunch to your banh mi. Luckily you can make Vietnamese pickles from carrots and daikon quickly, subbing regular red radishes or even turnips for the daikon if it's not available in your area.

The pâté

Chicken or duck liver pâté is a common ingredient in banh mi, spread on the sandwich bread. You can usually find inexpensive pâté at the grocery store, so don't worry about making it from scratch. And since it's going in a sandwich alongside other strong flavors, you don't have to worry if it's not primo-quality pâté that you would serve with crackers at a fancy party.

The rest

Mayo (or mayo and butter), cilantro, cucumber slices and sliced jalapeños (pickled aren't traditional, but they will have a milder heat profile) round out the rest of the sandwich. You can splash a dash of Maggi seasoning or soy sauce, a sprinkle of salt or a squirt of Sriracha sauce on the banh mi to finish seasoning, then get ready to chow down. See? That wasn't so hard after all.

]]>http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1128865/easy-banh-mi-sandwichMon, 10 Oct 2016 06:00:00 -0700http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1128808/guide-to-coconut-foods
Coconuts are all the rage these days. Whether you're eating coconut butter straight out of the jar (guilty) or chugging coconut water after a hike, there's basically a coconut product for everyone.

But not all products are made equal. Most coconut products come from far away, and often something gets lost in translation along the way between the flavor of actual coconuts and the products we get at the grocery store.

Image: Natalie Cosgrove/Liz Smith/SheKnows

So we put together this handy guide on what to consider when you're making your next coconut purchase. From fresh-tasting coconut water to the right kind of coconut milk to use while cooking, we've got you covered.

Unrefined coconut oil will have a pronounced coconut flavor and is better for sautéeing, baking and low-heat cooking.

Refined coconut oil has a neutral flavor and can be used for high-temperature cooking, like frying.

Both work well as a 1:1 butter substitute in baking.

Coconut oil is cholesterol-free.

Coconut oil contains a high level of plant-based saturated fats — there is still some debate over whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. If your doctor has specifically told you to stay away from saturated fat, keep this in mind.

Spectrum and Nutiva brands both use Fair Trade coconuts to make their oil.

]]>http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1128808/guide-to-coconut-foodsThu, 06 Oct 2016 14:00:00 -0700http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1128553/malted-milkshake
There’s been no shortage of high-profile targets that have earned a special place on Anthony Bourdain’s shit list: Paula Deen, vegetarians... Last week, during Bourdain's Reddit AMA, a new enemy emerged:

"If you treat me like an idiot though and serve me crap with utter contempt. I can spiral into a serious depression for days and I will not be nice about it. This means you, Johnny Rockets."

Well, that was harsh! I haven’t been to a Johnny Rockets in maybe 10 years — entirely because I lived nowhere near one — but from what I can remember, it was pretty damn great for a chain restaurant. The burgers were decent, the onion rings were spectacular and, best of all, they made a serious chocolate malted.

I am an aficionado of sorts on chocolate malteds, with few I’ve tried up to my standard, yet even under my intense scrutiny, Johnny Rockets' held up. They were thick, didn’t skimp on the malt and came in a tall, frosted glass with the metal blender cup full of leftovers served alongside. They were indeed nowhere close to the “crap” Bourdain described.

The agony of being a malted aficionado — which made the Johnny Rockets quip even more cutting — is that it is nearly impossible to find not only a superlative chocolate malted but even a half-decent one. Making this even more remarkable is that it takes barely any skill to make one. For all you ice cream scoopers and soda jerks out there, this is how it’s done:

Put chocolate ice cream into a blender.

Add a huge scoop of malted milk powder. Horlicks is best, but I would never turn my nose up at Carnation or Ovaltine.

Add another scoop of malt powder, because I guarantee you didn’t add enough.

Pour in milk, covering the ice cream by about an inch.

Blend the bejesus out of it. It needs to get through a straw. If I wanted to bring a spoon into this situation, I would have ordered a sundae.

Taste to make sure there’s enough malt. I ordered a damn malted, paid the dollar upcharge for it and then another dollar for extra malt because I don’t trust you to not screw this up. If this is not perfect, I will most definitely spend the rest of my life bitching about it to every single person I encounter, because I feel this is an important public service.

If there is extra, serve it on the side. Do not pour it into the trash in front of me. You are wasting good ice cream. You are also insulting not only me by letting me know the malted is better off in the trash than in my stomach but the ice cream too as a spiritual entity.

Image: Liz Smith/SheKnows

Bourdain is a man in the know, so surely he feels my pain in this situation. Then why the very public takedown of one of the malted community's only proper chain restaurant outlets? Why jeopardize its business and potentially leave us in a world where we should suffer nothing but the horrors of Chocolate Frostys? Was there something rotten in the state of Johnny Rockets? I had no choice but to put on my reporter hat do some very serious and very important investigative journalism.

My husband and I visited Johnny Rockets for a midweek “lunch date.” My code name was Sasha; I called him François. He didn’t understand why we had to have fake names, because he is absolutely no fun. He wouldn’t even wear a special “reporter hat.”

The place was appropriately kitschy, with older ladies waiting on us and calling us “hon” and “sweetie pie.” I was grateful they didn’t do any of the singing or dancing I recalled Johnny Rockets had — not because I doubted their talent, but because I have a mild phobia of singing-and-dancing servers. You know that terrible, sinking feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you’re embarrassed for someone else? You want nothing more than to reach out and grab them out of their personal hell, from the sheer indignity of being forced by their employer to jump onto a counter and do the Electric Slide while a room full of strangers looks on, begging you with their eyes to stop. I’d say that’s worse than being embarrassed yourself. It’s probably in the top 10 worst emotions ever. If abolishing this practice is one of the changes the Johnny Rockets corporation has made in the decade since my last visit, then kudos to them!

You know what doesn’t get kudos though? Its abomination of a chocolate malted.

Johnny Rockets, what have you done? You had an item of beauty, of near perfection, and you’ve destroyed it. Gone is the chocolate ice cream, replaced by artificial-tasting vanilla and chocolate syrup. This is not even a basic chocolate milkshake — it is a Brown Cow. At the core of its being, it is very, very wrong.

Also gone: the malt. And I saw the malt! I saw a big ol’ tin of Carnation Malted Milk powder on the counter, which I can only assume is now just for show and filled with the spare change and errant sewing supplies that always mysteriously end up inhabiting empty tins.

Johnny Rockets, I am begging you: Please bring back your original recipe. Restore your chocolate malteds — and your milkshake menu as a whole — to its former excellence. Where you had once been a titan — dare I say, the standard — of the milkshake industry, you have fallen far. You have broken my heart, Anthony Bourdain’s heart and who knows how many millions more. Please, for the good of humanity, bring back our milkshakes. We have seen your gift, and we know you still have it in you.

Image: SheKnows]]>http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1128553/malted-milkshakeWed, 05 Oct 2016 17:00:00 -0700http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1128790/buffet-tips
There's nothing like gorging yourself at an upscale buffet, but some new research from the Cornell Food and Brand Lab has depressing news. It turns out your brain basically tricks you into thinking that the food at a buffet is better the more you pay for it. Thanks a lot, brain — you know I have student loans to pay, right?

Researchers called it a self-fulfilling prophecy. When we pay more for food, we think it tastes better; when we go to a cheap buffet, we think the food is gross and get depressed that we ever went at all. I mean, that does seem to gel with my experience. But basically, even when the food quality is the same, we tend to enjoy the pricier stuff more.

Not only that, but buffet owners are also constantly trying to manipulate you into eating less and getting full faster. Everything from the size of your plates, bowls and silverware to the number of cheap starches and vegetables available are chosen in a calculated way to make you eat less, saving the restaurant money.

Now that we know about these tactics, it makes more sense than ever to try to make the most out of the buffet experience. If I'm paying out the nose for OK buffet food I'm going to foolishly decide tastes gourmet based on price alone, you had better bet I'm also going to use the following strategies to stretch my dollar for all it's worth.

1. Dress for success

Skip the skinny jeans — the buffet is definitely time for stretchy pants. A loose-fitting dress and comfy leggings will do the trick too. Maximum comfort equals maximum quantity.

2. Prioritize proteins

To get your money's worth, you should head straight to the pricey proteins. Salmon? Crab legs? Shrimp? Prime rib? All good choices. Skip the lame tilapia and overcooked chicken breast. If you're looking to maximize the value of your trip, red meat and fancy fish are where it's at.

3. Skip the salad

The salad bar is cheap to stock but will get you full. Skip it. You didn't spend your hard-earned money to accidentally get full on underripe honeydew and wilted romaine lettuce, did you? Also skip those weird mayonnaise-based salads lurking in the buffet. They're cheap as hell to make but are superheavy and will destroy your stomach before you get to the good stuff.

4. Don't drink

Many buffets give you huge beverage cups. That's because they want you to fill up on fountain soda, which costs basically a penny to make a million gallons. Not really, but it is supercheap to make and fills your stomach to the brim, meaning you basically spent $15-plus on a big cup of cola.

Instead, hydrate with plenty of water throughout the course of the day leading up to your trip instead of wasting valuable stomach space on beverages when you're at the buffet.

5. Go for lunch

Lunchtime buffets are often vastly cheaper than their dinnertime counterparts. Most of the time they offer the same selection of food (though at cheaper buffets, they may leave out some of the pricier items, like the prime rib carving station). Plus, you'll have more time to digest your food after your meal instead of packing it in at dinner and not being able to sleep later.

6. Pace yourself (but don't stop eating)

Don't wolf down a heaping plate of food within minutes of arriving at the buffet. Take a little bit of what looks good, and sample it at a normal pace, going back for another plate after you've decided what you want to try more of. The key is to eat at a steady rate. If you eat too fast, you'll get way too full too fast.

7. Ban bread (and pasta)

Think about it — you can get a pound of pasta at the grocery store for about a dollar, and when restaurants buy it wholesale, it's even cheaper. The same goes for bread. Bread is basically just water, flour and yeast.

If you want to maximize the value of your buffet trip, skip the pasta and bread. They'll fill you up in a heartbeat and are too cheap to justify the stomach space.

8. Prepare your body

The morning of, don't skip breakfast. It'll help prepare your body for the onslaught later in the day. Drink lots of water before you head to the buffet, and consider going to the gym or for a brisk walk earlier in the day to help stimulate your appetite.

9. Skip the dessert bowls

Buffets usually set tiny bowls by the dessert section. They're trying to encourage you to eat less, saving them money. Instead, go all in with a bowl from the salad bar or a plate from the entrée buffet line, and load up on the sweets.

10. Rest and recover

Post-buffet, take care of yourself. Going for a long, leisurely walk will help you digest better. Sip water to help rehydrate after eating all those salty foods, and consider enjoying a glass of mint or ginger tea to help quell any indigestion. Not that the buffet is all about overdoing it — it's about indulging as a special treat.

]]>http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1128790/buffet-tipsWed, 05 Oct 2016 11:00:00 -0700http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1128762/how-to-roast-pumpkin
Creamy, custardy pumpkin pie is probably the best thing anyone has ever made with a vegetable. But what if I told you there's a way to make the hallmark of your Thanksgiving dessert spread even better than what you're used to?

The key lies in roasting your own pumpkin. Canned will do in a pinch, but freshly roasted pumpkin has a flavor and texture that just can't be compared with what you get at the store.

You technically can just boil or steam your pumpkin, but roasting is really the way to go. As it roasts, moisture evaporates, concentrating the pumpkin flavor. Plus the sugars in the pumpkin begin to caramelize, giving you an added depth of flavor you could never hope for with other methods.

Choose the right pumpkin

Sadly those ginormous pumpkins at the grocery store are not your ticket to a year's supply of cheap pumpkin purée. The variety of pumpkin we make jack-o'-lanterns from is too watery and stringy to make a nice, smooth pie, and they're pretty much flavorless.

Look for small baking varieties, often just called sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkins. Some specific varieties that make for a delicious pumpkin purée include the following:

Baby Pam

New England pie

Winter Luxury

Long Island Cheese

Kabocha squash, also known as Japanese pumpkin

One small pumpkin is the equivalent of about one 15-ounce can of pumpkin purée from the store.

Tools you will need

Large, heavy-duty, sharp chef's knife. You don't want to try to cut into the thick skin and hard flesh of a pumpkin with a dull paring knife.

Well-secured cutting board. Set it on top of a damp dish towel so it won't slip around the counter when you start chopping.

Remove the seeds and stringy pulp from the center of the pumpkin. It helps if you start from the bottom of the pumpkin and work your way up. You may need to use your hands to get everything out.

Roast the pumpkin halves cut side down on a lightly oiled baking sheet at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes to an hour or until the pumpkin skin is wrinkled and easily pierced by a fork.

Let the pumpkin halves cool slightly, then peel the skin off the flesh (it should be quite easy at this point), or scoop the flesh from the skins.

Purée in your blender or food processor, and get ready to make some pie.

For your everyday pumpkin pie needs (not that I eat pumpkin pie every day...), canned will do. But for special occasions that call for the best, roasted pumpkin is the perfect way to up the ante on your pie game.

]]>http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1128762/how-to-roast-pumpkinTue, 04 Oct 2016 17:00:00 -0700http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1128552/extreme-doritos-flavors
With Halloween around the corner, drugstores are filling up with the requisite limited-edition snack foods: pumpkin-shaped peanut butter cups, candy corn trail mix, pumpkin spice fucking everything. While tasty, none of these treats are addressing the very real threats that you and I face this time of year. We are speaking, of course, about vampires. They are everywhere, and they are coming for you.

Black Garlic Doritos from Japan

Yes, the people who have previously given us such flavors as Crispy Salmon and Tuna Mayo are once again saving the day with limited-edition Black Garlic Doritos (NapaJapan, $4). While these tasty triangles of safety will not be available in grocery stores stateside, conscientious citizens in the know can head on over to NapaJapan to pick up a few bags to keep in their doomsday bunker.

And as long as you’re buying Doritos over the internet, consider picking up some of these other bags from overseas. Who knows what evil supernatural entities they can protect you from? (Hobgoblins? Cerebus? Scott Baio?)

Chile Limón from Mexico

According to many of the internet's foremost snack experts, Dinamita Chile Limón (Mexgrocer.com, $15/pack of three) is the Kobe of Doritos (in both the Bryant and beef senses). Not surprising, as chili and lime has the power to make even the most boring of foods spectacular. Case in point: Tajín seasoning from Mexico. You ever tried sprinkling that on lame-ass raw vegetables? I’ll admit that I’ve been faking liking those for years in order to set a good example for the kids, but you give me a bottle of chili-lime seasoning to sprinkle on it, and I could easily house a farmer’s market. It makes everything it touches addictive like a Gilmore Girls marathon. Combining the magic of chili-lime with Doritos is one of those strokes of brilliance that makes me hopeful for the future of the human race in uncertain times such as these.

Hardcore Extra-Spicy Chipotle from Mexico

As hot as we claim we like things here in America, we can’t approach “hardcore” levels of heat. Think of the lawsuits! You could burn the roof of your mouth, which would cause you to mumble for a few days and end up in all sorts of wacky predicaments. Wacky predicaments that could cause you undue mental stress and anguish that could forever alter the course of your life and lead you to total ruin. This is why Mexico gets all the cool Doritos, e.g., Hardcore Extra-Spicy Chipotle (eBay, $8) that don’t require a legal disclaimer, and we get “cooler” ranch.

Rainbow Cool Ranch from the U.S.

These aren’t really a crazy flavor — they were limited-edition Cool Ranch Doritos that got all dressed up for Gay Pride (eBay, $45) and pissed off a whole bunch of fundamentalist Christians who don’t want the “politics” of people's basic right to exist to be involved in snack foods. This is the literal version of “force-feeding the gay agenda,” which delights me to no end.

Wafuu Curry from Japan

It’s funny how so many people say they don’t like curry when I can think of few other ingredients that have traveled so much and have taken on so many faces across the globe. For this, you can thank the British Empire, who spent hundreds of years spreading spices all over the world like mono. Every culture that interacted with Indian curry powders quickly made them their own: Jamaica gave us jerk, Scotland gave us Tikka masala, Thailand gave us massaman. Japan’s curry of choice tastes like classic turmeric curry powder and garam masala had a baby, then that baby got into your kitchen cabinets while you took literally 30 seconds to run to the bathroom and you came back to a child who was rolling around in a puddle of soy sauce and emptied packets of GoGo squeeZ. I give you: Spicy Curry flavor Doritos (eBay, $2).

]]>http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1128552/extreme-doritos-flavorsTue, 27 Sep 2016 11:09:00 -0700http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/847771/clean-a-burned-pot
We've all done "that of which we shall never speak" in the kitchen. Multitasking while making dinner and then totally forgetting about a pot sitting on the stove can make you feel like a complete idiot. You might want to throw out the evidence to hide your shame, but there's no reason to waste the cookware — or the cash. We've got a few tried-and-true methods you can use to make a burnt or boiled-over pot look as good as new again.

What you'll need:

White vinegar

Baking soda

Water

Double-sided sponge

Step 1

Fill the pot or pan with a layer of water. The amount of water you use will vary based on the depth of the pot and the area of the stain. You want the water level to be at or near the height of the stain while still providing enough room for the addition of vinegar and baking soda.

Add about a cup of vinegar to the pot, again adjusting the amount of vinegar based on the depth of the pot and the area of the stain. For very large burns, add more vinegar. For smaller burns or shallower pans, add less.

Take the pot or pan off the burner, and turn off the stove. Add 2 – 3 tablespoons of baking soda to the mix. Allow the baking soda to fizz and do its work for a few minutes before emptying the mixture from the pot.

Scrub the pot with the abrasive side of your sponge. You may need to scrub for 30 – 45 seconds, but the burnt spots should come up fairly easily. If the spots are especially stubborn, sprinkle a little dry baking soda on top of them to help abrade the burn marks away. When you're satisfied that the pot is clean, rinse it thoroughly — it should look as good as new.

Image: Terese Condella/SheKnows

Originally published December 2011. Updated September 2016.

]]>http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/847771/clean-a-burned-potFri, 23 Sep 2016 17:00:00 -0700http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1128521/pressure-cooker-mistakes
Pressure cookers scare people for good reason. If you have ever had a failed recipe or gotten an "oops!" overflow or a nasty mush as your final result, you just might be less tempted to try out pressure cooking again. Here are a few common mistakes people make when using a pressure cooker, whether it’s the Instant Pot or an old-school stovetop model.

1. Using a traditional recipe in a pressure cooker exactly the same way you would in a regular pot

Recipes specific to pressure cookers include water measurements and are tested sufficiently in an actual pressure cooker. Liquids don’t have much chance to evaporate in a pressure cooker (hence using steam as the cooking method), and this is accounted for in pressure cooking recipes. It’s certainly doable to use an existing “regular” recipe, but you will have to test it out perhaps a couple of times before you get your final dish to the right consistency. Meanwhile there are plenty of recipe sites and Facebook groups specific to pressure cooking. Use these resources once you get familiar with your machine!

2. Not using the manual for your specific pressure cooker

Each pressure cooker brand has its own variations in timing and mode-of-cooking options. The sizes and capacity vary from brand to brand as well, so the widths and depths of the vessels (and their respective inserts as well) can matter. Bottom line: Read the manual.

Pressure cookers can retain odors, get clogged and, as a result, not work as well or at all. Be sure to follow the instruction manual for proper cleaning, paying special attention to the steam valves. Replace parts as needed.

Got an Instant Pot? That inner ring in the lid needs to be removed and washed after every use.

4. Using too much liquid or too little liquid

Most pressure cookers don’t need as much liquid as you think. Think of all the liquid in the recipe, including what is in the food. Frozen bags of veggies have a good amount of water content, so keep that in mind if combining them with other ingredients, especially those that can taste awful if waterlogged, like pasta and crisp vegetables. Nobody likes a flimsy carrot!

5. Cooking foods that ultimately should not be cooked in a pressure cooker

Everyone has seen food photographs capturing the golden-brown, crispy skin of a perfectly roasted chicken, especially in the fall, when the weather is cooler and ovens are being turned on more regularly. That depth of color, crisp exterior and flavor will never be achieved by plopping the poultry into the pot. For a few things, you just have to go traditional.

It’s tempting to fill up the vessel to the brim. But again, follow the manual directions to avoid overflows. You likely won’t be making that mistake anyway if you avoid mistake No. 4 above.

7. Not using the lock mechanism properly

Again, we go back to the manual. And remember, if you have access to the multiple online videos out there, use them for visual assistance.

8. Last mistake

Not taking it out of the box! If you’re like most people I know that are new to pressure cooking, the vessel sits in the box for weeks before it gets used. This is because people don’t know where to start, think it takes a long time to read the manual or think they have to have a solid recipe to start. Not true. Take yours out of the box today. Cook a batch of dried beans or rice, following the directions. Don’t worry about fancy recipes just yet. Just get it out of the box.

]]>http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1128521/pressure-cooker-mistakesFri, 23 Sep 2016 10:15:00 -0700http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1128238/carrot-cake-butter
Are you one of those people who gets super hyped about pumpkin spice everything come fall? Yeah, me too. There’s no shame in it, nor is there shame in cute sweaters or yoga pants. I, for one, refuse to allow the internet to destroy my unabashed love of fall with its incessant mockery. It will not take away my festively flavored foods, nor will it take away my comfortable pants! (Seriously, why are they gunning for our pants? We allowed men to have their cargo shorts for over 20 years till we finally decided we’d had enough.)

While I won’t jump onto the “pumpkin spice is over” train, I will tell you that we all need to broaden our horizons. There are so many delicious fall flavors to love: apple cider, creamy butterscotch, sweet potato pie and, my personal favorite, carrot cake. It was giving us warm fall spices all year round before fall was cool, and it somehow got passed over when we all finally went public with our collective autumn mania several years ago.

Baking cakes every day, though? Too much work. Easier way to slip carrot cake into every single thing you’ll eat for the next three months? Carrot cake butter. A thick, rich spread you can keep in your fridge and whip out every time you need to curl up under a thick blanket and stare wistfully out the window while listening to Adele. Spread it on a biscuit. Stir some into a latte. Mix it into a batch of overnight oats. Eat it out of the jar. Remember, no judgment. You can do whatever you want with this, in any goddamn pants you want to.

Directions:

Toss the carrots with the oil and brown sugar. Line a baking sheet with foil, and spread out the carrots into a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven, add the walnuts, and toss with a heatproof spatula. Return the pan to the oven for another 15 minutes, until the walnuts are fragrant. Let cool for 5 minutes.

To a food processor, add the carrots and walnuts along with the remainder of the ingredients, and purée until a smooth paste forms, scraping down the sides as necessary. Taste for seasoning, and add additional maple syrup, salt or spices as desired.

Tip: If your butter is too chunky or too thick for your liking, slowly drizzle in some water until you reach your desired consistency, stopping every so often to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Image: Cookie and Kate]]>http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1128238/carrot-cake-butterThu, 22 Sep 2016 13:45:00 -0700http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/960469/top-10-preservatives-and-additives-to-avoid
It’s tough to eat well these days. If you’re going the organic route, you already know it’s going to be a little more expensive. And if you’re trying to find healthy and nutritious choices among your packaged foods, you may be getting more fillers, chemicals and additives than you bargained for.

Most of us would agree that fast food isn’t really that good for us, but in 2016, the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health confirmed that eating fast food could expose you to high levels of phthalates, potentially harmful industrial chemicals found in food packaging. And speaking of food packaging, the synthetic chemicals used in the packaging, storing and processing of food might harm human health over the long term, according to a warning from environmental scientists published in Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health in 2014.

“A lot of these can be easily avoided by either eating organic or reading the labels of the foods we buy. Packaged food is notorious for containing artificial flavors, colors, dyes and enriched wheat products. By switching to a more whole food way of eating, you can be sure to lessen the preservatives and additives in your diet,” Kristi Acuna, holistic nutritionist, says.

You are what you eat, and if you want to look and feel like your best self, here are some of the worst food additives to avoid.

1. Ammonium sulfate

We clean with dangerous chemicals like ammonia, but you might not be pleased to find ammonium sulfate used as a preservative in your bread. Manufacturers claim it’s safe at low levels, and yet, this is also an ingredient you’ll find in garden fertilizer.

2. Artificial sweeteners

Swapping out the sweet stuff for sugar substitutes may seem like a good move if you’re trying to lose weight and reduce the risk of chronic disease, but a major culprit in the overweight and obesity epidemic is also unhealthy artificial ingredients. The body doesn’t excrete an artificial sweetener like aspartame in the same way it does other sweeteners. And Acuna lists aspartame among her top food additives to avoid, explaining that it can eventually pose harm to the body by blocking the absorption and utilization of the real vitamins and minerals the body needs to function at optimal level.

BHA is another sketchy food ingredient that you’re bound to see everywhere. This phenol-based food preservative prevents food from going rancid, working as an antioxidant, but it definitely doesn’t have the same protective effect on your body. BHA is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen,” according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

4. Food colorings

Your gut instinct was right all along. A food ingredient that has “red” or “yellow” in the name is probably not that good for you or your kids. Red Dye No. 3 was even banned by the FDA in 1990 because of a cancer-causing link. “Many parents know that these food dyes have been linked to hyperactive children. What you may not know is that studies also link them to cancer, depression and other mental health problems. At the end of the day, they are an unnatural chemical added to our food,” Michael Joseph, the nutrition educator at Nutrition Advance, says.

No matter how hard you try, high-fructose corn syrup is going to be hard to avoid. HFCS, commonly found in a number of salad dressings, soft drinks and processed foods, has been rumored to be highly addictive. High fructose corn syrup has also been linked to weight gain and fatty liver disease.

6. Potassium bromate

This is an additive added to bread to both strengthen the dough and allow for better rising during the baking process, explains Joseph. “Although it is legal for use in the United States, it is banned in many countries around the world. It is also a suspected carcinogen.”

7. Sodium nitrite

Bacon lovers, the outlook for nitrites ain’t so good. Sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate are common meat preservatives that provide a red color and help to prevent bacterial growth. As delicious as they are, eating processed meats has been linked to a higher risk of pancreatic cancer.

These days, soybean oil is also pretty hard to avoid — it’s the unhealthy oil you’re going to find throughout the fast-food industry. Joseph says, “Soybean oil has been called more obesogenic and diabetogenic than fructose and has links to both cancer and heart disease in various studies.”

Bonus: MSG — do your homework

Even with the “no MSG” movement, there’s been controversy surrounding this added ingredient for years. A savory food enhancer made from the salt of the amino acid glutamic acid, MSG has some dark and twisty research behind it. It’s considered by some to be highly addictive, with evidence that it may induce obesity. Yet the latest consensus is that MSG is totally fine. As with anything you put into your mouth, this may be another time to do your own research on the widely debated ingredient and decide what works best for you.